Author Topic: Geotagging hardware - anyone have good suggestions (Read 11280 times)

leaf · « **on:** November 25, 2008, 10:08 »

Does anyone here use any geotagging hardware to create a GPS log that you can later sync with your pictures so they are geotagged?

something like this
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/559314-REG/Holux_M241_M_241_GPS_Datalogger_with.html

I am interesting in perhaps buying something like that in the future, but I am looking for feedback on others experience.

melastmohican · « **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2008, 11:06 »

I got GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Lite

leaf · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2008, 15:18 »

wow.. how bizzare.. i was doing some reasearch and found this product

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2302310,00.asp

The merax photofinder... which looks QUITE a bit like the Gisteq Photograckr

http://www.adorama.com/ISWPTCD111P.html

seems like someone is buying from the same chinese supplier

Anyhow, yeah they have gotten pretty good reviews. That one that you use though (although a different model) apprently can be synced inside bridge somehow, which looks like it could be quite handy.

leaf · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2008, 15:28 »

Ok, found a comparison site of all the gisteq models
http://www.gisteq.com/resources/ModelSpec.pdf

It looks like the main differance though is the 'lite' model uses an AA battery while the other ones have a built in battery. I think the AA might be a better option instead of having ANOTHER charger.

Anyhow what type of file does it produce melastmohican? and do you use the software that came with it, or do you use a different geotagging software.

leaf · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2008, 16:39 »

more searching and learning and I am now leaning towads this one

http://www.amazon.com/Amod-AGL3080-Driverless-Software-included/dp/B000WO6HJW

It uses regular batteries and connects to the computer like a regular USB drive so you don't need special drivers or software like most GPS units. The Gisteq units also look very nice but the need to use their software to get at the data makes it quite a bit less enticing. As far as i have read, you can only install the software on 3 computers before your registration key runs out - another pain.

melastmohican · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2008, 16:56 »

I actually use their software but I guess it can export in NMEA, GPX, KML, and HTML formats.

leaf · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2008, 17:11 »

Quote from: melastmohican on November 25, 2008, 16:56

I actually use their software but I guess it can export in NMEA, GPX, KML, and HTML formats.

yeah, the software can export in those formats?, or can you connect the GPS to the computer and directly download the info in NMEA format.

madelaide · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2008, 17:15 »

I am curious, how does this work? You go on a 1000 km long car travel and whenever you stop for shots it records GPS locations, then synchronize with the date/hour in your files?

Regards,
Adelaide

leaf · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2008, 17:19 »

Quote from: madelaide on November 25, 2008, 17:15

I am curious, how does this work? You go on a 1000 km long car travel and whenever you stop for shots it records GPS locations, then synchronize with the date/hour in your files?

Regards,
Adelaide

whenever you turn it on it takes a GPS reading every 1 or 5 or 15 seconds (depending on the settings) and then when you get home, you download your track and sync it with the photos using the time the tracks and photos were taken. The syncing is done with a software program which is often shipped with the GPS or a third party software program.

le_cyclope · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2008, 18:14 »

There is also this gadget:
http://www.jobo.com/web/photoGPS.447.0.html

From what I understand, it takes a reading when you take a photo, so the tags are unique.

But as you can see, you cannot use your flash...

According to Popular Photo Magazine, (December), it is easier to use than other GPS system.

Claude

leaf · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2008, 02:12 »

yeah that one looks ok too, but you are once again locked into using their software. It also has a max of 1000 readings before you have to empty out the logs. if you were on a couple days trip it would fill up pretty quickly.

I think if i was on a trip and allready taking along a GPS i would probably think it is fun to track my trail as well and not just take a reading when i snap a photo.

grp_photo · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2008, 08:50 »

I think they are all pretty expensive for that they do. I bought a normal handheld GPS second-hand for a little bit over 100Euros it is using normal AAs and i can use it for a lot of other things not just simple geotagging. You can get free maps for it of the whole world and you can enlarge the memory up to 2GB with normal microSD-cards etc. etc. etc. ;-). And you don't have to install software on your computer to get *.gpx - Tracks if you don't want to you can connect it with a normal USB-Cable and it mounts as a normal drive if you want to do so.
There is certainly no advantage in buying a special geotagging device.

leaf · « **Reply #12 on:** November 26, 2008, 14:46 »

except a specific geotagging unit should be able to last with batteries a lot longer because of the lack of screen an other functions.

I also use an iPhone so I didn't need another map gps.. I could do geotracking with the iphone but it only lasts about 4 hours when tracking constantly... i wanted something to last all day long.

I ended up buying this one
http://www.amazon.com/Amod-AGL3080-Driverless-Software-included/dp/B000WO6HJW

because it can take regular batteries, connects like a regular usb drive where you can dowload the photo without extra software and because it doesn't have a screen to suck up batteries.

I will let you know what I think of it when I get it.

grp_photo · « **Reply #13 on:** November 26, 2008, 15:15 »

Okay good luck with this.
My Garmin Venture EX does hold a full day with NiMH-AAs but if you have already an iPhone there will be not much additional use for it.

leaf · « **Reply #14 on:** November 26, 2008, 15:46 »

hmm.. well that doesn't sound like dumb option either... how many battery does it take?

I guess i have allready decided, but others might want to check into garmin units a bit more if they might want a display.

grp_photo · « **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2008, 15:47 »

two AAs

RacePhoto · « **Reply #16 on:** November 30, 2008, 02:04 »

Quote from: madelaide on November 25, 2008, 17:15

I am curious, how does this work? You go on a 1000 km long car travel and whenever you stop for shots it records GPS locations, then synchronize with the date/hour in your files?

Regards,
Adelaide

Just in case and since I just found this thread. Any GPS that exports NMEA data. You should have the GPS time synchronized with the Camera time (and the GPS does this automatically from the satellites, so you need to make sure your camera is within a few seconds for best results.) Then the software syncs. the timestamp on the photo with the time of the data from the GPS and magic, it puts it into the photo and it's GeoTagged!

I'm sure everything everyone has already posted here will work fine. This is what I decided I wanted, because of all the GPS "stuff" it does.

Ideally a car GPS that would be used for trips and could be used for photos, would be my best choice. I haven't found one yet.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___73100

PN-20 Garmin that has street maps and topo USA and comes with some free aerial photo downloads, so you can at least get you own state or most of it, without buying anything else. I'm thinking more than just tracking photos, like exploring ghost towns and backwoods sites. Most people wouldn't care. Waterproof... expensive.

Also all GPS units are not created equal. Some have more problems acquiring good signals, while they are clipped on your belt, than others.

I think grp mean this one, which is designed for tracking and hiking and looks pretty robust.

Garmin Venture Cx http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___73049

iofoto · « **Reply #17 on:** November 30, 2008, 02:30 »

We're using di-GPS with the 1DsM3. Works great! You really want to avoid time-synching with GPS data and images if at all possible. The di-GPS embeds the long/lat (and more) directly into the EXIF fields as you shoot.

If you have a H3D39 or similar camera, then Hasselblad makes a GPS attachment that also embeds the data.

(We started using GPS 4 years ago to keyword locations using time-synching and most of the time the data worked great, but you were never quite sure if the times were exactly correct.)

http://www.dawntech.hk/di-GPS/index.htm

There's a bunch of freeware or inexpensive apps out there to place the images on a Google map.

Photothusiast · « **Reply #18 on:** August 11, 2009, 13:42 »

I use the " newbielink:http://www.amazon.com/Pharos-Trips-Photo-Linked-Portable/dp/B000XX13EQ [nonactive]"

newbielink:http://www.amazon.com/Pharos-Trips-Photo-Linked-Portable/dp/B000XX13EQ [nonactive]

The battery lasts 24 hours (and that's when taking a reading every 10 seconds).

The software that comes with it only works with JPG and since I shoot in RAW, I had to find another program to use. I found newbielink:http://www.geosetter.de/en/ [nonactive].

I have Pharos save my location data in newbielink:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gpx [nonactive] format, then use GeoSetter to tag my RAW files. As an added bonus, the tagging is done on the sidecar (*.xmp) files associated with each RAW image. This works well and the location data propagates all the way down to exported TIFFs and JPGs.

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Author Topic: Geotagging hardware - anyone have good suggestions (Read 11280 times)

leaf

melastmohican

leaf

leaf

leaf

melastmohican

leaf

madelaide

leaf

le_cyclope

leaf

grp_photo

leaf

grp_photo

leaf

grp_photo

RacePhoto

iofoto

Photothusiast

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